WHAT TO DO THIS SUMMER IN THE PHL? HERE ARE 101
CHOICES
[PHOTO - Windmills line the shore at the Bangui Wind Farm in Ilocos
Norte. Photos courtesy of PDP Digital, Inc. All rights reserved]
MANILA, MAY 8, 2012 (PHILSTAR) By Edu Jarque - First of two
parts - There is absolutely no better time than now to wonder and wander around
the Philippines.
Trust me – I'm a veteran of the travel and tourism industry. All in all, a
total of 38 uninterrupted years, since my duty days in the early 70's at
Makati's then only five-star property, to my stint with the Department of
Tourism both here and abroad where we continuously and proactively promoted
jaunts to the islands, for travelers to stay and stray longer, gather memorable
memories with beautiful experiences, and to hopefully invest in the Philippines
and even perhaps make this their second home.
The first crucial thing is the number of presently available destinations.
There are claims that the roll has quadrupled, even quintupled. How times have
changed, for I recall during my early school days when the only option, the lone
honest-to-goodness holiday haven, was Baguio.
A single region today renders you speechless with an exciting list of what to
see and do – the options of where to eat and shop, loosen up and be pampered, or
attempt the extreme – points that are appreciated due to the variety of choices
available.
[PHOTO - A bird's eye view of the crater lake of Mt. Pinatubo in
Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga]
Perhaps it can even instantly effect a migraine for the anxious who simply
don't know where to start!
Without question, there is better connectivity in journeys these days. More
airlines, both legacy and low-cost, are battling for our selection, offering
seats at affordable – sometimes downright giveaway – rates to destinations
unbeknown to most Filipinos. Bridging the entire archipelago is becoming more of
a reality each day, with better vessels, faster craft and outrigger boats
interconnecting more than a thousand islands, with a few thousands more to
spare.
Then, there are also bus lines which offer deluxe seating and inter-island
routes in ro-ro fashion. In all these three modes of transport, they're
venturing to more destinations as schedules expand in number and in frequency.
Here's another boom: more choices of stay, from the ultra-budget inns to
la-di-dah resorts. Homestay lodging has likewise become a unique tourist story
of its own, where locals generously offer their homes and open their hearts as
they happily share their stories over home-cooked dinners.
[PHOTO -The famous Manila Bay sunset paints the sky.]
As beach paradises start to sprawl, we have begun to ask for the best site
for surfing or diving; for physical adventure in the mountains, where to pump up
the most amount of adrenaline in a bungee jump or zip line; to the metropolis
for the craziest nightlife, the wildest food, the bargains over which everyone
goes gaga. Wherever we may end up in these islands, we have the greatest of
history, of tradition, of heritage, of arts, of culture, of fiestas, of
cuisines, of LIFE.
Still unconvinced? Well, I could've crafted an overture of another 101 – the
myriad reasons why you should escape from your comfort zone – but that could
waste our longer honeymoon with summer. And so as I begin from the hills of
Batanes down to the mountains of Davao, I'll leave it up to the roll to convert
your doubts:
1. Explore one of the islands of Batanes, from the traditional stone houses
in Sabtang to the rolling hills of Marlboro Country in Batan. Test your honesty,
a revered local value, by purchasing at the unmanned Honesty Café.
2. As you drive along the Cagayan and Ilocos Norte border, make a layover by
the winding Patapat Viaduct, the northernmost road in the country, protruding
from a mountain base which many have mistaken for a bridge, as it reveals the
scenic beauty of Pasaleng Bay.
[PHOTO - Saud Beach at Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte: Jewel in the edge of
Luzon]
3. Try out Ilocos Norte's extreme shores: bask in the calm white waters of
Saud White Sand Beach in Pagudpud, admire the windmills of the wind farm in
Bangui, sand board at the desert terrain of La Paz Sand Dunes in Paoay and hike
through ancient land-based corals of the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation in Burgos.
4. Loosen up at the transplanted village of ancestral houses of Sitio
Remedios in Currimao, Ilocos Norte.
5. Plunge into a palaisdaan at Dagupan City, harvest their bangus and grill
one for dinner by the beach.
6. Learn how giant clams are protected by scientists in Bolinao, Pangasinan.
7. Go back more than a hundred years with an empanada in hand while taking a
paseo along Crisologo Street, afterwards go around the rest of the heritage town
of Vigan on a kalesa.
8. Attend mass at the Callao Caves in Peñablanca, Cagayan and watch the
circadian flight from the Bat Cave by late afternoon.
9. Sit on the world's largest armchair called Butaka (photo)
by the town junction in Ilagan, Isabela.
10. Feel like a giant walking through dwarf bamboos in Mt. Pulag, the highest
mountain in Luzon shared by the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya,
whose borders meet at its peak.
11. Inspired by rice terraces in Ifugao province, volunteer in the
rehabilitation of the terraces in Batad, Ifugao.
12. View the hanging coffins, explore the caves and trek to breath-taking
waterfalls in Sagada, Mountain Province.
13. Immerse among the artists within their creative colonies at Tam-awan
Village and Woodcarver's Village in Baguio City and take a six-kilometer ride to
National Artist BenCab's Museum.
14. Pick the plumpest strawberry and try out taho produced out
of it in La Trinidad, Benguet.
15. After trekking the lahar landscape from Pampanga, either bathe at Mt.
Pinatubo's crater lake made magnificently blue by its sulfuric content or
surrender to a relaxing spa of ash from the volcanic eruption in Capas, Tarlac.
16. Dive the World War II ship wrecks in Subic Bay, Zambales.
17. Discover what makes Anawangin Cove in Zambales surreal.
18. Contamplate the early morning by the breezy Lake Pantabangan, a large
reservoir in Nueva Ecija.
19. Say a little prayer before the depository which contains what is believed
to be a relic of Christ's cross at the Monasterio de Tarlac of the Servants of
the Risen Christ in the mountain village of Lubigan in San Jose, Tarlac.
[PHOTO -A huge cross watches over the Dambana ng Kagitingan on Mt.
Samat, Pilar, Bataan.]
20. Try surfing in Baler, Aurora, the town which started it all – from the
surf boards of the actors and members of the crew of "Apocalypse Now" (1979)
which were curiously tried out by the locals.
21. Loveless? Childless? Or just a plain hip-hop junkie? Sway before the
images of San Pascual de Bailon, Sta. Clara and Our Lady of Salambao during the
Obando Fertility Dance in Obando, Bulacan.
22. Sponsor a hatchling at the Pawikan Conservation Center in Morong, Bataan.
23. Share the struggle in your own way as you reflect on the legacy of our
patriots at the Dambana ng Kagitingan at Mount Samat in Pilar, Bataan.
24. Plant a seedling in the forest cover of Ipo Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan.
[PHOTO - KNEELING CARABAOS]
25. Wave at the dozens, if not a hundred, of adorned parading carabaos, the
gentlest beast of burden, during their very own thanksgiving celebration at the
Pulilan Carabao Festival in Pulilan, Bulacan.
26. Find out why mountain bikers call the 7-km uphill bike trail in San
Mateo, Rizal "Shotgun."
27. Be a pilgrim and light a candle in Antipolo Church, a venerated site for
Marian devotees, and later breathe in the arts at Pinto Gallery.
28. Decipher the 127 human and animal figures of the Angono Triglyphs as you
walk along the cave walls in Angono, Rizal.
29. Unravel Chinatown's culinary secrets in time-tested hole-in-the-wall
restaurants which feature roast duck, fried pigeon, and fried frog legs;
miscellanea of beef, seafood, pork, or just plain congee, mami, siopao and
siomai, and the list goes on and on. Don't forget to take home an assortment of
hopia and other Chinese delicacies from local bakeries.
30. Explore the entire archipelago within two hours with a guided tour over
the boardwalk of the Philippine relief map at Rizal Park in Manila.
31. After a visit to the historic San Agustin Church, its impressive museum
and Casa Manila, have a Spanish meal or sampaguita ice cream at Barbara's or
Ilustrado. Then walk along the thick fortified walls of Intramuros, and, to end
your day, count our National Hero Jose Rizal's footsteps from Fort Santiago to
meet his fate at the Luneta, now known as Rizal Park.
[PHOTO - The loveliest sunsets are seen over Manila Bay and what
lovelier dining experience than to have it on board Manila Bay Dinner Cruise?
After touring the busy streets of metro Manila under humid climate conditions,
take the Manila Bay Dinner Cruise on board a dinner yacht and enjoy the natural
beauty of Manila Bay. Some consider it the most picturesque bay in all of
Southeast Asia. The cruise begins at the Cultural Center of the Philippines
(CCP) Complex along Roxas Avenue, near Manila Yacht Club. The CCP is hard to
miss. Its ramp entrance and fountain are familiar to almost every metro Manila
resident.]
32. Have a romantic dinner cruise around Manila Bay.
33. Go on a pilgrimage to Sta. Ana Church in the old suburb of Sta. Ana,
Manila and climb up to the Camarin de la Virgen, the dressing room of the
Virgin, whose pedestal is said to have been made from parts of a Spanish
galleon.
34. Choose from the many impressive museums in Metro Manila – Ayala Museum,
Yuchengco Museum, National Museum of the Philippines, Museum of the Filipino
People, Bahay Tsinoy, Lopez Memorial Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Manila and
Museo Pambata.
35. Visit the official residences of the top two elected officials of the
land: the Malacañan Palace and the Coconut Palace in Manila.
[PHOTO -The Las Piñas Bamboo Organ]
36. Lose yourself in the baroque music of the Bamboo Organ's 174 vertical
pipes and 122 reeds at the St. Joseph Church in Las Piñas, Metro Manila.
37. Search for the very elusive bleeding-heart bird in Mt. Makiling, Los
Baños, Laguna.
38. Spend an afternoon in the town of Pila, Laguna and discover how its
heritage remained little-influenced by modern times.
39. Hop into your vehicle and do the Laguna Loop which showcases
centuries-old churches, with stopovers at the wood-carving town of Paete, the
tsinelas capital Liliw, the underground cemetery of Nagcarlan, the many rapids
of Pagsanjan and the popular healing baths of Pakil.
40. See Emilio Jacinto's blood stains at Magdalena Church in Laguna, one of
Philippine Cinema's most favorite locations for films.
41. Hike on the trail connecting all legendary Seven Lakes of San Pablo City,
and make certain you stop at Pandin Lake, dubbed as the most beautiful, to enjoy
a peaceful boatride paddled exclusively by women.
42. Climb up the belfry of Asia's largest church in Taal, Batangas and admire
the view of the colonial town, then head to the market for a taste of El Pasubat
with signature dishes such as empanada, embotido, longganisa, tapa, tulingan,
suman, and panutsa.
43. Try apitheraphy or healing therapy through products made by honeybees at
the Ilog Maria Bee Farm in Silang, Cavite.
44. Fillip the Filipino in you by waving the Philippine flag from the balcony
of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's house in Kawit, Cavite.
45. Sail to the island of Corregidor and witness the very site of the heroism
and bravery of soldiers who fought in the Second World War.
46. Get up from your slackened hammock in Puerto Galera and explore other
rousing activities such as a hike to Tamaraw Falls and a motorcycle cruise.
47. Swim with the fish in Apo Reef in Sablayan (photo),
Occidental Mindoro.
48. Enroll in an introductory scuba diving course in Anilao, Batangas.
49. Catch a trio of simultaneous May-time festivals in Quezon province:
battle with the guys in catching your own suman at the Agawan Festival in
Sariaya and Hagisan ng Suman in Tayabas.
Then head off to Lucban for the colorful Pahiyas Festival.
To be continued
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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